Amusement apparatus.



No. 838,989. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

v S. J. HART.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.17,1906.

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PATENTED DEC; 18, 1906.

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SIDNEY J. HART, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HOWARD A. CAMPBELL AND ONE-THIRD TO OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CHARLES E. MOKEE,

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed April 17, 1906. Serial No. 312.202.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIDNEY J. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an amusement apparatus, particularly of the illusion type, in which a variety of pleasant interesting illusions or sensations are produced upon the passengers.

The main object of the present invention is the production of a pleasure apparatus of the marine type in which the passengers are, in effect, subjected to all the sensations of a trip upon the water, the apparent difficulty of the trip being wholly at the control of the operator, so that each voyage may differ from any other. In connection with the traveling illusion of the apparatus make use of a moving-picture machine of any desired type for presenting visual effects to accord with the other incidents of the trip.

The invention will first be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

Referring to the drawings, my improved apparatus is preferably secured within a suitable housing structure 1, provided with an entrance 2, adjacent which is arranged, if desired, a ticket-booth 3.

The housing is preferably rectangular in shape, and centrally therein is arranged a tank 4, the upper edge of which extends a short distance above the floor of the housing. The tank is arranged to contain a body of water in which is supported a boat or other carrier 5, arranged for the reception of the passengers. The boat of course floats upon the surface of the water and is held in comparatively fixed relation to the walls of the tank through the medium of connectors 6, which extend from opposite sides and ends of the boat to the adjacent corners of the tank, a portion of the connectors being mit the necessary independent movement of the boat. The connectors 6 are of course arranged for removable and adjustable connection with the boat through the medium of the usual belaying-pins or similar devices, whereby to increase or decrease the tension of the springs 7 at the will of the operator.

In the rear portion of the housing, preferably concealed beneath a platform 8, is arranged a rotary pump 9, the intake 10 of which communicates with the water in the tank near the rear end of the tank, while the outlet 11 extends lengthwise the tank with its mouth opening upward beneath the approximate center of the boat 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The rear wall 12 of the housing is covered by a suitable screen 13, serving as the receiving medium for the moving pictures projected from the a paratus 14, supported in the upper forwar portion of the housing, a platform 15 serving as a support for this part of the device and also to con ceal the same from the passengers.

The apparatus as a whole is preferably operated electrically, the 'mains 16 17 of which lead through switches 18 and 19 to the picture apparatus and to a series of lights 20, suitably arranged on the ceiling and sides of the housing. Conductors 2O 21 lead from the mains 16 and 17 through a variable resistance 22, from which conductors 23 24 extend to the pump 9. The resistance-box 22 is so arranged as to increase or decrease the current supplied to the motor 25 for operating the pump-shaft, whereby the operator may control the speed of the pump, and thereby vary the effect upon the boat.

In use the passengers in the boat are subjected to the action of the water in the tank under the influence of the pump, it being understood that the revolutions of the pump may be so controlled as to render the water in the tank comparatively calm or very rough. By virtue of the outlet 11 opening beneath the center of the boat the pressure of the water conveys to the boat the vibrapreferably to the movement of the water under the inin the form of coil-springs 7, whereby to perfluence of the pump is retarded and counter- IOO acted by the spring sections of the connectors, so that said boat is subjected to a tossing and rolling movement while apparently traveling forward through the water. The operator will cause to be projected upon the screen 13 a series of moving pictures in accordance with the trip to be taken, so that the passengers in the boat are apparently passing by natural scenery. The pictures are of course to be varied as may be suited to the particular occasion, and one or more machines may be used, if desired, to project pictures upon each side of the boat.

It is of course to be understood that if only one picture-machine is desired the sides and top of the housing which are presented to the view of the passengers may be suitably decorated to further the illusion. In lieu, however, of using pictureemachines to scenically decorate the sides of the housing or permanent decorations therefor I contemplate, if preferred, the use of decorated curtains 25, which travel about rollers 26, mounted in the respective ends of the housing. These curtains are of endless type, with their surfaces suitably decorated, and are arranged on opposite sides of the passenger traveling vehicle and arranged to travel in a direction opposite to the supposed travel of the vehicle. By this means the efiect of passing suitable scenery is provided.

I/Vhile preferring that the boat be supported upon water, it is obvious that equal effect may be gained by supporting the boat upon springs or other similar medium, and

I this is contemplated as within the spirit and l scope of the present invention.

The device is comparatively simple, and owing to the specific arrangement of parts the detials of the illusion may be varied to present a practically unending variety.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is tank designed to contain Water, a boat supported on the water, means for agitating the water by delivering a stream of the latter having a yielding connection with the tank, and means for projecting a series of scenic effects in advance of the boat.

2. A pleasure apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain water, a boat supported thereon and having a yielding connection with the tank, and a pump arranged to draw water from the tank and redeliver the same beneath the central portion of the boat.

3. A pleasure apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain water, a boat supported thereon and having a yielding connection with the tank, and a pump arranged to draw water from the tank and redeliver the same beneath and against the central portion of the boat.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SIDNEY J. HART.

Witnesses:

J. J. HOLLINGWORTH, JOHN DAVIS.

1. An amusement apparatus comprising a against the surface of the boat, said boat 

